76 of 79 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Masterful Indeed!, May 31, 2005
Bicycle training includes physical, psychological, and skills training. Although riders often ignore the latter, without skills training mountain bikers limit their potential enjoyment and development as competent cyclists.
This is one of the best books ever published on acquiring mountain biking skills, a book whose principles broadly apply to other forms of bicycling, including road cycling.
The book is well-organized and the topics flow well. The book begins with general bike set-up and pedaling, transitions to braking, cornering, hopping, dropping, and jumping, and puts the basics together in chapters about flowing, crazy (miscellaneous) conditions, and racing.
The book has more than 100 color photos and diagrams, which overall illustrate its points well. Diagrams, such as those on pages 64, 66, and 67 depicting zero, negative, and positive camber help the reader learn the meaning of familiar yet uncertain terms. Time-sequence photography, such as images on pages 106 and 107 illustrating the difference in jumping techniques of a dirt-jumper and cross-country racer are superb.
The book attempts to detail principles for beginners and experts alike, and overall does a great job.
As excellent as the book is, it could be improved.
A glossary would help. Authors and editors often forget that not everyone knows the meaning of the jargon words-such as rail and carve. Even if explained at first usage, a glossary of mountain biking terms would improve the book.
The language is hip, sometimes crude. Although attractive to many who practice downhill mountain biking, the lingo might not appeal to all. For example, in describing pedaling style at the bottom of the pedal stroke on page 34, the authors write: "Pretend you're scraping dog crap off the bottom of your shoe."
The book includes descriptions and illustrations that are inconsistent. For example, in describing a series of turns on page 59, the text describes a left then right series of turns, but the illustration is right then left. In describing how to carve flat turns, on page 66, the text says lean your bike more than your body, but the rider is leaning his body more than the bike. On page 69, in describing skidding into loose corners, the text describes the method of dealing with a skid turning left, but the time-sequence photos are of a rider turning right. Such inconstancies make it more difficult for the reader to follow the authors' points.
Sage advice has its exceptions. When exceptions are not qualified as such, readers may be confused. For example, throughout the book, the problems associated with needless, overzealous, panicked, or overly cautious braking are reiterated. The novice mountain biker may think: "Always stay off the brakes!" Yet in describing how to conquer switch backs, page 68, the first item of advice is "Slow WAY down....you want to reach a happy speed, not scare yourself..." which, of course, is what novice riders think in every situation they consider braking. If the authors had said: "This is an exception to letting-the-brakes-go-to-ride-more-effectively rule," they'd clarify their thinking for the reader and gain credibility.
These minor quibbles aside, this book has great information about mountain biking skills, from one of the most skilled riders who has every lived. If you are a mountain biker, get this book-even if only to look at the pictures.
Reviewer's note/disclaimer: The publisher sent me a review copy. I was not paid for this review.
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39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Conscious Competence, December 25, 2005
Learning anything proceeds along a continuum. Starting from where one isn't even aware how much one doesn't know, (unconscious incompetence), the first step is to become aware of just how much one doesn't know. This would be the stage of conscious incompetence. As one gains knowlege and practices a set of skills, they are in the phase of conscious competence. Elite atheletes, like Brian Lopes in mountain biking, have reached the stage of unconscious competence. They no longer even have to think about it, they "just do it." Lopes started riding at 4 years old, and turned pro at 17. Rising from the ranks of BMX, Brian has been successful in a vast range of off road biking activities. Not only has he been successful at many of the biking disciplines, he holds world records in bunny hopping and distance jumping, and he is even the star of a mountain bike video game "Downhill Domination" for PlayStation.
The problem is, people at Brian Lopes' level of unconscious competence are not necessarily any longer the best teachers for us mere mortals. The years of developing skills, motor memory, reflexes, and balance, mean folks at this level are no longer even aware of all that goes into their amazing performance. They aren't even necessarily able to say how they do certain things.
Enter Lee McCormack, a man who has been explaining things and writing about bicycling for years. Despite some pretty impressive biking acheivements of his own, he is still close enough to his conscious competence to break down and write about the basics and specific skills that go into excellent biking performance.
Mastering Mountain Bike Skills describes itself as for anyone who wants to ride better, faster, or more confidently. It helps you master the skills to all types of terrain in almost any type of situation: cross country, freeriding, downhill, dirt jumping, bikercross, urban terrain, and even skate parks.
Chapters cover bike selection and setup, balance, position, pedaling, pumping terraqin for speed, braking, cornering, wheelies and hops, drops, jumping,speed, lines, and racing.
I read this book straight through, but it's one you'll want to keep out and refer to often as you ride, develop, and practice skills. There's great tips and tricks for people at all levels of skill and experience. It's also fun that Lee throws a lot of little jokes in all through his writing. The combination of Brian and Lee have produced a book that will help me in getting back into mountain biking after an 11 year break, and will be referred to often.
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